Suzette F Hedtke

Suzette F. Hedtke 76, of Rochelle, formerly Lindenwood passed away January 20, 2018 at home. She was born on September 3, 1941 in Cape Town, South Africa. Her father was estranged since birth and her mother died when she was just 7 years of age. She was placed, along with her two sisters, in an orphanage. When she was 21, she longed to travel the world and had an opportunity through the travel agency that she worked to transfer to London, England. It is there that she met and married her first husband and had two daughters. She later divorced her husband and was given a chance to move to America to live near her younger sister in Indianapolis, IN. It is there that she met and married her second husband, Howard Hedtke, who worked as a grain elevator insurance salesman but resided in Lindenwood, IL. So Suzette and her daughters went to live in Lindenwood in 1976. Suzette worked part-time as a receptionist for Lyons-Cluts-Simes Funeral Home and at times would care for the young children of Mr. and Mrs. Lyons. In September 1995, Suzette was in a terrible car accident and suffered a brain injury that she endured for the remainder of her life. After her husband died in 2005, Suzette went to live with her daughter and son-in-law in Rochelle, IL. Suzette was known for her lifelong passion of knitting, sewing, crocheting, needlepoint and traveling with her husband. She is survived by 2 daughters; Colette (Butch) Eckhardt of Rochelle, IL and Kim (Joe) Evans of Homer Glen, IL. 2 grandchildren; Daniel and Sarah Evans. 1 sister; Odette of Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. 2 Nephews; Mark of Cape Town, South Africa and Paul Gregg of Palo Alto, CA. 1 Niece; Antoinette Gregg of Sarasota, FL. 2 second cousins; Paola and Giconda of Cape Town, South Africa. She is proceeded in death by her spouse, Howard Hedtke, and her younger sister, Colette Gregg, who passed away in 2009. Her family would like to sincerely thank all her caregivers that she had through the years: Melinda Gocken, Beth Boerema, Sue Reitz, Malinda Wagner, Ashley Miller and Judy Harrison. Visitation will be held Friday, January 26, 2018 from 4-7 p.m. at Beverage-Lyons Family Funeral Home on 704 N. 6th St. Rochelle, IL 61068. Condolences may be made at http://www.beveragelyonsfamilyfh.com/ and memorials are to be made out to Serenity Hospice or to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation.